This invention pertains generally to tool holders and, more particularly, to a belt-mounted holder for a pry bar.
Pry bars of the type shown in FIG. 1, designated generally by the reference numeral 11, have been used in demolition and construction for a number of years. They are useful in nail extraction and in a number of other prying and lifting applications. Such tools are fabricated of a flat metal bar which is bent to form an elongated handle 12 with nail pulling claws 13, 14 at opposite ends thereof. Claw 13 extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the handle, with a heel curve or fulcrum 16 interconnecting that claw with the handle. The portion of the handle near claw 14 is arched to provide a fulcrum for that claw, and a nail puller 17 is formed in the bar near the base of the arch. Pry bars of this general type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,574 and are marketed by Vaughan and Bushnell Mfg. Co. under the trademark SUPERBAR.
As useful as these pry bars are, carrying them is a problem. They are too long to fit in the bags or pouches on most tool belts, and they tend to slip through the loops provided for holding hammers and the like on such belts. As a consequence, they are generally carried only in tool boxes or by hand, which means that they are often not readily available when needed and are easily misplaced or lost.
It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved tool holder which is particularly suitable for use in carrying pry bars.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tool holder of the above character which can be used with existing tool belts.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a holder for a pry bar having a loop through which the handle of the pry bar can be inserted in a vertical direction, a seat positioned above the loop for engaging a horizontally extending claw at one end of the pry bar to support the pry bar in a hanging position with the handle captured by the loop, and a bumper below the loop for lateral engagement by the handle to keep the claw on the seat.